Thoughts on Training

Thoughtlessness. Complete darkness. Just go; just do it. That’s what top athletes try to do in their top performances. Many call it “flow state.” I love TED talks, so here is one on the flow state. I think he can explain it a little better 😉 In this state you are just there; being, breathing,[…]

What are the differences in states of human functioning? Intrigued by the title? Yeah, it is pretty catchy. I was thinking of writing on this topic for awhile now. A few weeks ago I stood behind our counter at work, staring at some people training; just wondering what the hell they were trying to accomplish with[…]

In honor of the new Star Wars movie, I’ve decided to contact Darth Vader to ask him what he feels are important points on strength programming. He told me at one point “I hope you listen to me for your sake; the emperor is not as forgiving as I am.” Below is what he had to[…]

Power is, well, a powerful word. Can I say that? Anyway, one of my coworkers brought up a good point about the fact that “power” is used throughout the semantics of weightlifting. I have never really thought about this before; I guess because I understand these semantics from being a part of the sport. Just[…]

When we train we adapt specifically to that training demand; sound familiar? Yes, that’s right! The S.A.I.D. principle; Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. Now, most of the time I think of parameters like load (intensity) and repetitions (volume), or the combination of both (volume load), which is ultimately what the body “feels.” Volume load is[…]

For many years I’ve seen coaches constantly screaming cues for their athletes to keep their elbows up in lifts like the front squat, press, and jerk. I’m here to tell you to stop it before you make the same mistake. What if that athlete has certain restrictions that don’t allow him/her to get into the[…]

You simply do not want it. What is being a superhuman, exactly? In my opinion, aside from really wanting all the Marvel and DC superheroes to be real, being superhuman is to be an athlete at the highest level. We’re talking World Championships and Olympics. You may think this would be awesome, especially when you[…]

…said nobody, ever; or at least they shouldn’t be saying that if they have. The basics are the furthest from boring in my mind. Yes, they are frequently used, but that’s because they work! Major movements like the back squat, deadlift, bench press, strict press (military), clean, and snatch are the foundations of every program. These[…]